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Final tallies put the 2014 “10 Days of Giving” at 220,555 pounds of food, the third highest total in the food drive’s 26-year history.

The total breaks down to $94,069 in cash and 32,417 pounds of food. The two years where more food was collected were 2013, when just over 280,000 pounds of food was collected, and 2009, when just over 250,000 pounds of food was collected. For the purposes of the total, two pounds of food are counted for each dollar. The 26-year total for pounds of food collected now stands at 2,597,782.

“We are thankful for the success of this year’s drive in supplying food for Winona Volunteer Services and helping to meet our goal that no one in Winona County goes hungry this winter,” said Jennifer Welch, who is co-chair of the food drive. “It means a lot to our employees to take part and help meet the needs of the food shelf and the people it serves.”

Through the middle of the day on Tuesday, Merchants Bank had collected 114,792 pounds of food for the “10 Days of Giving.”

The totals include $52,773 in cash and 9,246 pounds of food. The total to date is behind last year’s record pace of 160,300 pounds of food, which was fueled by several significant anonymous monetary gifts. The number is ahead of the pace of two years ago of 98,106 pounds of food. For purposes of the calculation, each dollar counts for two pounds of food.

“Time and time again, I continue to be overwhelmed by the generosity of the people in the Winona area. It’s unmatched,” said Jen Welch, who is co-chair of this year’s food drive. “We are especially gratified by the people who are first-time contributors. It is good to see how many people believe this food drive is important to this area.”

Last year, more than 280,000 pounds of food was collected and 195,438 pounds of food was collected in 2012. The 25-year total is 2,377,027 pounds of food.

There is still time to give. Merchants Bank employees and other volunteers will collect food barrels and cash cans at area schools, day-cares and businesses Thursday and Friday. The food and money collected from the Canadian Pacific Holiday Train stop Tuesday in Winona has not yet been included in the totals.

Checks may be made payable to “10 Days of Giving.” Checks not deposited at a Merchants Bank office may be mailed to Merchants Bank, P.O. Box 248, Winona MN 55987; or Winona Volunteer Services, 402 East Second Street in Winona.

Gifts of food may be dropped at any Merchants Bank location in Winona, Goodview or St. Charles. In addition to more than 30 area schools and child-care centers participating in this year’s Drive, there are more than 150 business collection sites throughout Winona County. View a listing of this year’s special events and participating businesses here.

Through Friday morning, Merchants Bank’s “10 Days of Giving” was at 60,220 pounds of food collected.

The number of pounds of food collected included $28,948 in cash and 3,324 pounds of food. Two pounds of food are counted for each dollar collected. Through the same time last year, 83,748 pounds of food had been collected. In 2012, a little more than 41,000 pounds of food had been collected through this point to benefit Winona Volunteer Services.

“Again, the response from the people in the Winona area has been generous,” said Mark Metzler of Merchants Bank, one of this year’s co-chairs. “We are gratified by the response.”

Last year, more than 280,000 pounds of food was collected, a record for the “10 Days of Giving.” The 25-year total is 2,377,027 pounds of food.

“We are looking forward to the response during the remainder of the event,” Metzler said. “We know that this is important to so many people.”

To contribute, checks may be made payable to “10 Days of Giving.” Checks not deposited at a Merchants Bank office may be mailed to Merchants Bank, P.O. Box 248, Winona MN 55987; or Winona Volunteer Services, 402 East Second Street in Winona.

Gifts of food may be dropped at any Merchants Bank location. In addition to more than 30 area schools and child-care centers participating in this year’s Drive, there are more than 150 business collection sites throughout Winona County. A listing of this year’s special events and participating businesses can be found on our blog.

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To donate to this year’s 10 Days of Giving, place the non-perishable food items in a bag under the lobby Christmas tree at any Winona Merchants Bank location, or in the collection barrel at any Winona Area School or participating business. Monetary donations also encouraged.

Please join us in the following Merchants Bank communities for events to support the 10 Days of Giving (click on a specific location for more information). We’re collecting donations to stock local food shelves.

December 1-10 – Cottage Grove will be holding its “10 Days of Giving” to benefit the Friends in Need Food Shelf. You can bring cash donations or toiletry items to Merchants Bank in Cottage Grove or any participating school or business.

December 10, Holiday Train Date/Time – Wednesday, December 10 at 5:45 p.m.
Location – South of the Sieben Bridge, in front of the Youth Service Bureau.
Don’t miss performances by Home Free and and Kira Isabella. Santa Claus will stop by and there will be entertainment, snacks and refreshments for everyone.

Hastings

December 1-10 – Hastings will be holding its “10 Days of Giving” to benefit Hastings Family Service. Bring cash or food donations to Merchants Bank in Hastings or any participating school or business.

December 9, Holiday TrainDate/Time – Tuesday, December 9 at 8:30 p.m.
Location – Canadian Pacific Depot, 500 E. Second Street.
Don’t miss performances by Home Free and and Kira Isabella. Santa Claus will stop by and there will be entertainment, snacks and refreshments for everyone.

OnalaskaDecember 2: Onalaska employees will again be hosting the La Crosse Rotary Lights Event from 5:00-10:00 p.m. at Riverside Park in La Crosse, WI. Please bring cash or food donations that night to the event to benefit WAFER.

Spring GroveDecember 1-10: Spring Grove will be holding its “10 Days of Giving” to benefit Semcac Houston County Food Shelf. Bring cash or food donations to Merchants Bank in Spring Grove or purchase a pre-packaged grocery bag at Red’s IGA.

St. CharlesDecember 1-10: St. Charles will be holding its “10 Days of Giving” to benefit Southeastern Minnesota Resource Center. Bring cash or food donations to Merchants Bank in St. Charles or any participating school or business.

Winona

December 1-10 – To give a gift of food, drop off items at Merchants Bank in Winona, Goodview or Lakeside or any participating school or business. You can mail a donation to Merchants Bank, 102 East Third Street, Winona, MN 55987, attn: “10 Days of Giving.” You can make a donation online by going directly to the Winona Volunteer Services website. Indicate “10 Days of Giving” after entering your name.

December 1, Culver’s Night
Date/Time – Monday, December 1 from 5:00-8:00 p.m.
Location – Culver’s of Winona
Culver’s will be donating 10% of all sales from 5:00-8:00 p.m.

December 6, Holiday Lighted ParadeDate/Time – Saturday, December 6 at 5:30 p.m.
Location – 6th Street in downtown Goodview.
Lighted and decorated barrels will be placed at Merchants Bank in Goodview and the Elks Lodge. People coming to watch the Holiday Lighted Parade are invited to bring monetary gifts or non-perishable food items with them. Santa and Mrs. Claus will be collecting food along the parade route. Christmas cookies and hot chocolate will be served by Merchants Bank staff at the Bank on Sixth Street. After the parade, Santa and Mrs. Claus will be at the Elk’s Lodge to greet children.

December 7, Holiday Concert for the Hungary
Date/Time – Sunday, December 7 at 2:00 p.m.
Location – Winona State University Performing Arts Center
The Winona State University Symphonic Wind Ensemble, under the direction of Dr. Donald Lovejoy, and the Winona State University Chamber Orchestra, under the direction of Dr. Paul Vance, will perform their annual Holiday Concert. Residence Hall students from WSU will be collecting non-perishable food items. Admission to the concert is free with the gift of food or monetary contribution to the “10 Days of Giving” Food Drive.

December 8, Rocco’s Pizza Night
Time/Date – Monday, December 8 from 5:00-8:00 p.m.
Location – Rocco’s Pizza in Goodview
Rocco’s Pizza in Goodview will be donating 10% of all sales from 5:00-8:00 p.m.

December 9, Holiday Train
Date/Time – Tuesday, December 9 at 4:00 p.m.
Location – Winona Amtrack Station.
Canadian Pacific Railway’s “Holiday Train” will make a stop in Winona. Entertainment, cookies and refreshments will be provided. CPR officials will make a monetary contribution to the Food Shelf at Winona Volunteer Services. Guests who attend are encouraged to make a non-perishable food or monetary donation.

Mark Metzler and Jennifer Welch have been named co-chairs for this year’s “10 Days of Giving.”

The “10 Days of Giving” runs from December 1-10, with Merchants Bank employees helping the community collect food to benefit the food shelf programs operated by Winona Volunteer Services and the Southeastern Minnesota Rural Education & Resource Center in St. Charles.

“We hope the community will respond again to the great need,” Welch said. “We are amazed each year by how much people give to those who need our help.”

Last year, the “10 Days of Giving” set a record by collecting more than 280,000 pounds of food, putting the 25-year total at 2,377,227 pounds. Two pounds of food are calculated for each dollar brought in, although the reality shows that monetary donations often have a greater impact.

“Every year we are amazed at the generosity of the people in our area,” Metzler said.

In Winona in 2013 Winona Volunteer Services had 906 households using the food shelf each month, with another 93 households per month use the emergency food shelf. In total, an average of just over 37,255 pounds of food was distributed each month in 2013.

As in the past, Merchants will be collecting at its locations as well as schools and businesses around the area. For questions, please call Metzler at 494-0524 or Welch at 457-1108. The “10 Days of Giving” will officially kick off with a press conference at 10 a.m., December 1 at Merchants Bank in downtown Winona.

From December 1-10, the “10 Days of Giving” food drive and other events will be held at a number of Merchants Bank locations, including Winona, St. Charles, Onalaska, Cottage Grove, Hastings, Caledonia, Spring Grove, Cannon Falls and Red Wing.

The “10 Days of Giving” started in Winona and is now entering its 26th year. To date 2,377,227 pounds of food have been collected through monetary donations and the donations of non-perishable food items to help make sure no one in Winona County goes hungry. Last year, a record of more than 280,000 pounds of food was collected for Winona Volunteer Services, where the need is still great:

In 2013, 23,140 individuals were served at the food shelf at Winona Volunteer Services, and another 2,461 individuals were served with emergency food.

An average of 906 households were served each month.

An average of 93 households used the Emergency Food Shelf services each month in 2013.

An average of 37,255 pounds of food was given out through food shelf programs monthly.

Opportunities to Give

Winona – You can drop off money or food at Merchants Bank in Winona, Goodview or Lakeside between December 1-10. You can mail a donation to Merchants Bank, 102 East Third Street, Winona, MN 55987, attn: “10 Days of Giving.” You can make a donation online by going directly to the Winona Volunteer Services website. Indicate “10 Days of Giving” after entering your name. You can also bring donations to the Holiday Train held at 4 p.m., December 9, Amtrak Station.

St. Charles – St. Charles is holding its “10 Days of Giving” December 1-10 to benefit the Southeastern Minnesota Resource Center. Please bring cash or food donations to Merchants Bank in St. Charles.

Onalaska – Onalaska employees will again be hosting the La Crosse Rotary Lights Event December 2 at Riverside Park in La Crosse, WI. Please bring cash or food donations that night to the event.

Cottage Grove – Cottage Grove will be holding its “10 Days of Giving” between December 1-10 to benefit the Friends in Need Food Shelf. You can bring cash donations or toiletry items to Merchants Bank in Cottage Grove. You can also bring donations to the Holiday Train held at 5:45 p.m., December 10, south of the Sieben Bridge, in front of the Youth Service Bureau.

Hastings – Hastings will be holding its “10 Days of Giving” between December 1-10 to benefit Hastings Family Service. Bring cash or food donations to Merchants Bank in Hastings. You can also donate at the Holiday Train stop at 8:30 p.m., December 9, at Canadian Pacific Depot, 500 E. Second Street.

Red Wing – Merchants Bank in Red Wing will be hosting a Change Collection, where they will collect the change you donate and then donate that money to benefit local people in need. It’s a great way to empty your pockets and change dishes to help others.

Cannon Falls – Merchants Bank in Cannon Falls will also be hosting a Change Collection during the holiday season at the Bank to benefit local people in need.

Spring Grove – Merchants Bank in Spring Grove will celebrate the “10 Days of Giving” by giving area residents an opportunity to purchase a bag of groceries supplied by Red’s IGA for people in need. Stop in the Bank for more details.

Thank YouWe know this is a busy time of year and many organizations have a need. We hope that you will consider the “10 Days of Giving.” Thank you for your consideration.